Wyoming June Visit Part 3

Friday, June 14

Another SUPER early morning for team Petty.  At 5:15 I get up and pack some breakfast and snacks for the road.  I leave a note for Grandpa, who SHOULD arrive today, that we'll be back by around 7:00 P.M. I'll have to gas up again. But by 6:10 we are officially on the road and headed to Jackson.  Of course, the drive is beautiful.  Even the drive from Ft. Washakie to Dubois is green and visually inviting. The boys sleep much of the way.  A little after Nine we arrive in fantastical Jackson, after taking a quick Teton photo op, and change of clothes for Ashton.  It's his first time seeing the Tetons.  Nathan stays in the car - and I've given him two kids Clariton.  His poor eyes look a-wreck.  Tears stream down his face from allergy reaction.

Stretch!!

We locate Brooke via Weston's phone.  We reintroduce ourselves to Tom, a lawyer friend, and then head back to where Brooke and Wes are staying for the conference.  It's the same place where Lynnden and Jake got married.  A lovely retreat.  Nathan takes a LONG, HOT shower and drains his poor little sinuses quite a bit. Brooke makes some work calls.  Ashton and I snuggle and nap a little bit before heading out for lunch. It's lucky Brooke has an extra Jacket for Nathan, as I didn't think to pack any - even though we drive up to 9, 460 feet in elevation and see snow on the side of the road.  The day warms up and Ashton never indicates he would like a jacket. 

The ever 'must have' tourist picture from Jackson

Ice cream sweet spot!

We have a very tasty lunch at e.leaven Food Company, though I don't believe the french dip to be the best ever.  NQ's mac n cheese was gooey and comforting.  Ashton's hot dog was HUGE, Brooke's brisket very yummy. It's fun to see the iconic red and yellow horse carriages travel down the street every few minutes. We walk around a bit and decide Ice cream is always a good idea.  We hit the ice cream shop, me with my mint chip, and Brooke preps to take a phone call meeting.  The boys and I hit the Yippy-i-o Candy store and spend nearly 20 bucks in taffy, chap stick, Huckleberry Jam, suckers, hard candies and a huge gummy cockroach for Nathan.  Then I make a most foul discovery and quickly locate a bathroom so I can change Ashton.

Brooke later breezes out of the Candy Store with a sweet present for a kid she's guardian for, and some cinnamon taffy for Wes.  It surprises NEITHER of us that I have several of those for me as well.  (Wes and I are twins, I'd swear it some days.)

Then we head to Snow King, where Tom has indicated is a fun park for the kiddos.  He was Right!  This is a very fun little park!  Nathan quickly runs into a boy about his age who asks "Do you want to play Rock Climbing Mario?"  Mario?  Yes!  It is universal in all little boy languages!  This kid certainly has a gain on Nathan, as he is wearing Rock Climbing shoes, has his own chalk bag and by gauging his super Wild Iris looking, sitting on the ground in her own sling-along-pack chair, granola eating, mother, spends lots of time in the great outdoors. But they get along Famously for hours playing Rock Climbing Mario.  Ashton enjoys walking the dangerous wall and the playground equipment and also has a few climbs of his own.

As the day winds down, I think about taking Brooke's offer to get a roll away bed for the room and stay the night.  But, as I gnaw on that - I feel that no sleep will be achieved by anyone if we all stay in one room.  It is then decided that the boys would like to check in on Stirling at the Doggie Day Care center.  Nathan asks Brooke, "What is Daycare?"  She counts him to be a very fortunate kid, that he doesn't know what that means.  The Doggie Daycare seems like a blast!!  SO many Happy puppies and Happy handlers!  It's like an utopia of joy.  They bring Stirling to visit - they boys enveloped by the puppy joy!  It's hard for them to leave, but leave we must, as now it's getting on to 5:00.

At about 7:45 I'm getting into town and think I'd better call Grandpa, to let him know where we are.  I try the house, no answer.  So I try the Cabin.

"You were in Jackson today?"

"Yep, spending time with Brooke.  It's beautiful in Jackson." 

"Yes, Jackson is a beautiful place. Okay, well we just got in, so we're going to hurry over to Atlantic City for dinner before they close for the night. We'll see you tomorrow?"  Click.

The boys want to see the horses before bed, so we go to water them and pet them before calling it a night.

Saturday, June 15

The boys sleep in. It's beautiful!  Ashton's up by about 8:45.  NQ sleeps another hour longer.  We get up and gas up again.  Then decide, since they've been looking more and more homeless by the day, to see if the Barber  is open and available!  Luck was with us.  NO one was in the shop.  He takes his time and give the boys real nice-looking cut. I'm pretty sure he's impressed with how well they're sitting.  (I have to admit - Ashton shocks my socks off!  Not one squeal or whine!!)

We decide to go see Olivia and Devlin and take them some lunch.  Amy proceeds to tell us the Travis had spent much of the previous day in the emergency room - and is diagnosed with a bad infection.  Ugh!  They are supposed to close on their house in TWO DAYS!!  We take Olivia with us to Pop's house, so the Adult Barney's can try to get some work done.

When I return, I meet the Hulet family four of them, fresh of the Trek.  I invite them in, as they are sitting out in the car getting ready - with one person at a time in the house, showering up.  I offer them Popsicles, put Ashton down for a nap, get the kidlet cousins situated and play host for a while.

Melanie proceeds to tell me how she walked in remembrance of  Lori on the Trek, she cries.  It's the first time they've been back to Lori since her passing.  They ask about Pop - I tell them he's been spending lots of time in Utah.  And that we've barely seen him in my 12 days of being in Lander.  Anxious to see him, they head for the cabin.

I get Olivia showered and dressed when I get a call from Amy.  They won't be going to the cabin, and she's on her way to get Liv.  So then I decide I had better shower up.  So I do.  As I'm getting ready I look out the window and see a baby deer bouncing all over the grass.  It's so tiny that at first I mistake it for a small dog, until I see Momma deer standing by.  Baby deer bounces high and jumps and kicks and then goes down into a hole!  I watch.  And watch.  And WATCH. It never resurfaces!  I see Momma Deer looking around, and she finally goes into the Tee Pee with a fellow deer.  And they never emerge!

Now I'm determined that Baby Deer is in trouble and that I was destined to see it fall in a hole and that I alone must take flight to SAVE the BABY deer!  I quickly finish up what I'm doing and in super speed get the kids loaded up into the car and fly down the road to save Baby Deer.

I sneak quietly into the field and catch these images:

 

Baby Deer is well.  Just resting in the grass.  It jumps up and runs away a little time later, so as to exercise the fact that it is in working condition.

Up the mountain for a BBQ.
We get there after the Hulets, after the Harts and missionaries but just before Brooke and Wes. I made very short acquaintance with Grandpa's friend, Elizabeth. There is much to be organized.  I make Chrystal Light in a pot (I couldn't find the glass server) and, because there are enough women and enough noise and direction in the kitchen, go back to planting flower pots.

I planted two, only photographed one.

Wes has been prepped by Brooke to ready himself for BBQ duty. Good thing she did. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Wes?  Here it is publicly - I LOVE Wes!!

Roland and Christal

Elders: Slade and Cash

The BBQ participants

After dinner the boys take quick control of Stirling and a loud and bright machine gun. The Hart's have to run the Missionaries down to town.  Wes, Brooke and Oscar help me bring the Barny Load of movies in.  Brooke and I get them packaged up and put away.  And the rest of the people settle down to visit.  Very Casually.  With naked feet being rubbed in laps, very "In Your Face" style. 

It is time for me to go.  And put kids in Bed.  And go home.

Sunday Morning I call Aunt Annette to let her know we're headed that way. She, ever indulgently invites us for the night.  (THANK YOU! ) I visit with Brooke, give her a birthday gift, a cute owl purse) and start washing sheets and gathering things together.  After Sacrament meeting on Sunday, we pack up, pack a picnic and go. We hug Grandpa goodbye.

Happily - I get a hold of Julie and we stop in Rock Springs for an hour for picnic and playtime!!

Even more happily the boys sleep from Rock Spring to Parley's Canyon!  We eat at Wingers, where Nathan declares, "It like being at a movie." He has popcorn, a soda and a wrestling show on the TV.  He couldn't be happier!  When we get to Aunt Annette and Uncle Dave's house I bathe up the kids first thing.  Then we play a rousing game of Simon Says out in the front yard.  The kids RUN across the grass, barefoot for some time.  We sleep well.  Aunt Annette makes us wonderful little pancakes, bacon and fruit for breakfast.  It's very comforting.  We are able to see Mike, Amy, Sarah and Kate very briefly, but still got to see them!

We make plans for a July visit to the Veyo pools and then the boys load up once more!! We make a 30 minute stop in Payson for NQ's tummy trouble - but make no more stops after that.  By 1:00 we are home.  Shane is HAPPY to see us and we are HAPPPPY to see him!!

So did we get haircuts and Chinese food with the boys, go boating and fishing, jump on the new trampoline, maybe head to Yellowstone to see the wolves, have some time with my Lander friends, ride horses, go to the movies, etc?  I loaded up the boys for a spring Lander visit - with my head filled with all the fun-filled "grandpa time" things we would be doing. And, we DID do lovely things.  As witnessed by THREE pages of posts.  But even a dissapointed NQ answered Aunt Annette's "I'll bet your Grandpa was happy to see you!" like this: "We hardly even saw him at all."